Show Reviews

The first set is a pretty standard festival set. It is great to hear the boys back and there really aren't any flubs that send this below average. Nice to see the first cover in almost six months go to a rocking funky bitch!

Second set is above average for a festival set IMO. Really cool dwd and pretty cool versions of light and sand.

The general takeaway is that this show is fun. Definitely check out the second set or at least dwd, light and sand!

What is it about a Phish show that, when you hear it for the first time, it often sounds like the best show they've ever played. Later down the line, in retrospect, the show finds its rightful place.

Saturday in New Orleans, Phish played a setlist that didn't go far beyond the realm of "standard fare." In fact, much of the selection didn't waver from the choice "festival" fare. But we're talking about music here, improvised music. Maybe most songs didn't depart from their ordered formulas, but we can't judge improvisation on merits such as this.

What kind of show was this? The peaks never push the listener into the realm of distraction. I was able to accomplish a great deal of reorganizing my life while enjoying the recording. The groove was thick and deep. The flow was out of this world. I have no idea what Fish's solo project has been over the past few months, but he is strong and masterful as ever.

Page on Moma Dance and Funky Bitch brought the Metermen influence. Mike laid down the sickest grooves all night. And Trey sounded original as ever, yet more deeply united with his band as well.

This show is a feel good kind of show. No scary avenues, everything is dance-inducing, the fun factor is constant, and there are scarcely any flubs.

If you base your listening on setlist content, please pass go and don't collect $200. ON the other hand, if quality of music is what you seek, there is nothing to be disappointed by here.

This was Phish's first spring-time show since 2009. It has all the brilliant colors of fresh flowing sunshine and blooming buds. Something tells me that this one will be special for introducing ones friends to the band. Beautiful!

@funkbeard
I couldn't have said it better myself. It felt like the greatest concert I ever went to when I was there. Now, I know it doesn't really compete with some of the shows I saw last year (Reading and 12/29 in particular) but for whatever reason, when they play so well together I could really care less what they play. I had no expectations of a 20 minute Reba, I was just hoping that they sounded tight and unified, so all my expectations for this summer and fall will still be high. And that's exactly what I got. It was just an all around really fun show, masterfully played, and the crowd was full of high energy. What more can we ask for in a festival setting?

Glad they didn't play too many bust outs. Fairly predictable but a fun listen on a Sunday morning.

First two songs were the same as SPAC1 last yr. still groovy tho.

Rift and Wolfman were solid but safe. Lawn Boy and Party Time were playful and really safe. Ocelot was par for the course. Funky Bitch, 46 Days, The Line & Zero picked up the intensity a bit to finish the set strong.

DwD to open set 2 was a strong choice. Again, they didn't bust their nut on this so we can have other solid DwDs throughout the summer. BOAF > Twist had a great flow, even if Twist was a little understated. Twist has, and will again, have its day.

Always love me some Sparkle even if ppl will complain about it being in S2. Free, Light, Hood, Cavern, and Grind (for the win) were all captivating with Phish showing they're ready for more to come!

E Julius shows this song can basically be played anytime during a show w success.

First set was exactly as I would have guessed. I enjoyed everything from Party Time through The Line. Funky Bitch was rocking as was 46 days. Im really enjoying those ~10 min rockers these days. Trey does a good job of patiently building the peak and the rest of the band is tight as can be.

Second set was definitely pleasing to me considering the factors. I would say it probably exceeded my expectations a bit. I loved the song selection of this set. It was great getting Sparkle and Grind, both put a huge shit eating grin on my face. Trey looked like he was about to explode with laughter during Grind as well.

The Disease opener went a lot further into type ll territory than I expected it to. I still need to re-listen to the show(my only listen was live) but from what I remember the quality of the improv from DWD and Light was there. The Sand groove was suuupa thick and a bit slowed down. Great extra kick late in the set though. I dont remember Hood being anything extraordinary but definitely well played.

Biased off being there, the song selection, and the few unexpected type ll jams, I would give this show a 3.5/5 but I won't round up to 4 for the sake of not fluffing. 3/5 stars.

From the start, something was just off. The show started out fun enough with Kill Devil Falls, Moma Dance, Rift and Wolfmans...but the KDF was fast, Moma slow, rift fast, wolfmans slow - it felt very up and down. I wondered how the crowd, packed with n00bs, would react because it seemed - well, - flowless. The whole set, in fact, each song had a clear stop and the song selection continued to be curious throughout...never quite ever getting into any sort or rhythm. There were some highlights - nothing too memorable - wolfmans was a beautiful rendition and 46 days and ocelot really bring fire - and all three have been relative unsung heavyweights of 3.0. But something was - off - lacking. At the show, and listening back, I felt Fishman's drums didn't sound very deep and powerful to me - they sounded a little faint to me, perhaps eaten up in that expansive field not designed or particularly well-suited for concerts. They had practiced, but they are all working on different projects and they do have some stylistic differences with their side band (orchestra playing is a whole different world from Treys different style) and Mile was straight out of his own solo tour where he is churning out some great music.

The reality heading in was "festival phish is festival phish." But, I'm not entirely sure that rang true. The fact is, this show was pedestrian but it had nothing to do with it being a festival. ...because they did jam. In fact, they gave us two jams. DWD and then later Light. A 16+ and 13+ minute jam are not characteristics of festival Phish. They represented earnest efforts by the band to give the crowd a true taste of what they offer. These jams, simply put,were a relative miss with this reviewer. But I appreciate the effort. Not every jam turns to gold..or silver...or anything truly memorable. Some jams just aren't for me - that's not to say they're duds or bad - but that is to say that neither "did it" for me. But fact that they were creating music is what I go to these shows for. I care for the different takes on the songs - and I got that. So I found the jamming rather standard and meandering, fine - it was just fine by me. Just please...keep on playing....keep on exploring...they don't all have to be innovative or appease the internet vocal minority - just keep playing ...and I'm a happy fan.

Perhaps there is something to be said about the inclusion of only one song off the recently recorded album, and perhaps there is something to be said about the lack of bustouts or some musical flubs....but this writer got what I was expecting: a band playing one-off show - on a break from there other projects - glad to be there - clearly having fun - and clearly not setting out to set the fanboy audience on fire - putting on a respectable if not terribly original show - highlighting many 2.0 and later songs. We all seem to know the story: the Jazz Fest President saying, essentially, in an interview that he flew in to New York for NYE and was basically begging them to make this happen. They did this for two reasons: for them and for us. They conquered a demon of their past while giving us what I consider to be a bonus show. An unexpected, very welcome, April show - in a new environment. I am forever thankful for that. The community took a break for a few days and came together for a party that we never thought we would have and it was awesome to be around our extended family under the 80 degree sun for one outstanding day of music.

Not to be understated was the absence of the fifth member of the band. Technology for concert lighting has reached new heights and comes with all sorts of bangs and whistles and there are many concerts out there now that put on a light show Spectacular that far trumps what we see on tour - but what they are missing in these other shows is the heart of a lighting director so in tune with the four instruments that he seeming knows where they are going next. His lighting is superbly matched to the music and presents a canvas that Trey often gets lost in. It arguably is the secret ingredient. Standing under the bright sun, you could feel the difference. I missed him terribly.

In the end, Phish was the 6th or 7th best band I saw that weekend down in NOLA. ...and that's ok. What draws me to Phish is their understanding of music, their ability to listen, their ability to branch out and come back together as one, to communicate,to find that simple happy place in the midst of musical chaos. They are musical poetry in motion to me and there is no question that they are at a new peak...not the same peaks of 1.0 but a new peak, a different peak. And I'm grateful for every note.

I came to this show from far far away, and had extremely sky high expectations. I created a set list in my head. Spending many days then weeks finally months mulling over the venue, environment, and the history, I was sure I knew they were going to play. And then they didn't play a single one of those numbers. (my list included: Gumbo, Halley's, Roegge, Sloth, Cross-eyed, Punch, Walfredo, *extreme far out guess: blinded by the light OR A here comes the sun tease- since they haven't played a whole show in the beating sun for awhile)

But what we all received out there on that beautiful day was way better than what I wanted. On paper it seems very standard, if you download the show and weren't able to make, chances are it might not sound special to you, but it was.

You could see an expression on their faces as they walked off the stage, for them July could not come soon enough. They are playing like a band on a mission with something to prove, that's what I hear and see at least.

Only downer was that the sound was not terrific in the beginning of the first set. Page's microphone was way too low (his first lines in Rift were hardly audible). Mike's bass was too distorted and also set too high, which I think left Fishman with no choice but to blindly follow Mike as he probably was picking up no keys. Also I noticed Mike seemed to be watching Trey's physical movements during jams to pick up on shifts and drops.This lasted from Kill Devil Falls to Rift. Everything seemed to be sorted out by Wolfman's and they are such pro's you probably won't even notice it when you listen to the recording.

I thought this show was great for a festival show. More times than not, festival shows tend to be predictable, straight ahead rock shows with non existent exploration. This, on the other hand has some pretty good exploration in the 2nd set. The fact they play like this for a festival crowd has me super excited for this summer!!! Of course, it was my first birthday show, so I might be biased!!

This was my 22nd show and my girlfriend's second. The whole weekend was practically a fluke, in that the transition from just talking about doing Jazz Fest to actually finding out we COULD do it was seamlessly surreal. We rode an Amtrak 23 hours from Chicago to New Orleans on the very train Arlo sang about over forty years ago, and in fact had that song and others loaded on a playlist I played throughout the trip. We finally got to our hotel about 9pm Friday, had time to hit a neighborhood bar (Igor's - some of the best burgers around) and walk around Garden District with the novelty of holding open beers. (We even asked a cop if ok, with the excellent response of "Oh sure - longs as you don't act a fool!") I was starting to like this town already.
We headed down to the fest the following afternoon. We had bought the Festival Express tickets that included our festival admission. Our hotel was close enough that one streetcar or bus to Canal St was all it took. However, half the streetcar lines were still under construction so we ended up walking most of the way. Nice day for it, tho, and we enjoyed the 80 degree breeze and a couple tall boys as a schoolbus took us through some ramshackle neighborhoods to the fest. Once there, all running and smiles and more beers (reasonably priced!) and the unbelievable realization that we were here, at Jazz Fest! In New Orleans!! We joined a parade in the Jazz and Heritage tent, danced out and into a quick food line for some Alligator Pie and fried green tomatoes, and headed over to the Acura Stage.
We didn't have too high expectations for Phish. I knew they'd have good chops from being the last couple months in the studio, and I knew she'd enjoy it just for the fact her last show was in Cedar Rapids in 1995. (Our room # even reflected the date - 1020 or 10/20 - a cool coincidence.) The anticipation was still high, among us and our new friends around us. I expected at least one guest - Santana was a good bet - and some horns.) First things to notice was lack of a lighting rig - they'd be riding kinda dirty - and also the VIP section gated off right in the front. We could only get as close as the first gated off section. But then - there they were! The boys all close up, the first time I'd laid my own eyes on them without the aid of a screen in years. Like being in the shadows of giants. Opening notes of KDF and we were all dancing, and didn't stop until set break. We were treated to a laid back and precise first set. Notables were Rift, Moma, Party Time, 46 Days and Zero. Trey was down in the mix but his lines were punchy and fluid. Was happy to hear very little whammy pedal. Fish and Mike were a freight train of funk and Page played soulfully and aggressively - "Page is the new Trey", I said at one point. He tends to confidently take his solos home, whereas Trey seems to be about building song dynamics and filling in space with smooth melodies. Above average and well-played set. Second set brought the fun stuff, not the fireworks I was expecting from the last Fall run but some nice adventures, specifically in DWD, Light and Sand. In terms of placement, the order of Birds, Twist, Sparkle and Free made a nice "gumbo". Sparkle and Free, especially, were tight and nice vocally, with Trey keeping up with the speed of Sparkle and not drifting his note in Free. Hood was tamer than previous versions but had a nice build and satisfying conclusion. "Grind" was nice to finally see, and my gf got a kick out of because her last show had a cappella "Hello My Baby" and "Amazing Grace". Julius was a nice way to cap off a fun, satisfying, tight set. Afterwards, we nixed our return tickets on the Festival bus because they switched the departure points and the line became epically long, and took a bus/streetcar combo that a staff member pointed out to us and got back just in time for a relaxing and much-needed dip in the outdoor hot tub.
I give 3 stars for the tameness of the set but it really was enjoyable, and they were really together and virtually flub-free. A lot of people complained about how terrible it was but it really wasn't. It was more for a festival crowd, but I didn't feel let down. The song selection was good, with a few throwbacks to '96, some longer jams and exploring, and a lot of well-played songs showcasing their storied history. Listening to the Live Phish SBD on the way home, I was impressed by the improved mix and how good the show really was, that wasn't as well represented by front-of-house at the venue. It's certainly one worth revisiting, and made mine and my girlfriend's first time to Jazz Fest and to New Orleans a memorable one.

Not to reiterate on what has been previously said but the first set was a pretty standard festival set until the setbreak occurred. Then it became a standard first set and anticipation could truly build for the second set. I thought some of the sound seemed a bit off during Trey's parts occasionally (and completely during Sparkle, I'll need to relisten).

The second set versions of DWD and Light were both good to great and, in a typical environment, would have probably stretched another 5-10 minutes and we'll be talking about them moving forward as great versions. This shows good promise for the summer. The Sand was slow and murky and great. I hope they keep that method for the song because it was a blast to hear. More Mike-led then other versions I've heard.

All in all, for a festival, the crowd was full of fans which was fun. After the first set a bunch of people left to catch other acts which helped in alleviating the heat and congestion(at least where we were situated Mike-side of the soundboard). The band didn't really push the envelope too much but honestly, that's to be expected a bit in that slot. Still had a blast.

So, I have to admit that this was my very first Phish show. Ever. I went into this completely blind. After years of attempts of my friend trying to get me into the band, I hadn't much even listened to a single song all the way through prior to attending this show. All my friends were like, "come to jazz fest, it will be a good time, yes, we'll get to see Phish, but there will be other things if it's not your bag."

Well....12 minutes into the first set, I look into my best friend's eyes, the one who wanted me into this band for so long, and said "well, I get this. I understand" and proceeded to dance my fucking ass off for the remainder of the show.

Was it a great show? Sure. Was it the greatest show? No. In hindsight, listening to it again (and especially after getting a much bigger Phish education), this was a pretty safe festival set. No huge surprises, several songs that I now consider "bathroom break" songs. But for me personally, it will never matter. This show will always have a special place in my heart. I will always rock out to Moma from now on, because it's my "I get 'it' song." Free will forever be my husband's favorite song because all he can remember is the sun shining on our faces while just swaying to the song. The second set far out paces the first in terms of execution, song choice, and energy.

Relatively conservative setlist which was to be expected considering it was a festival, and beyond that, a festival loaded with musical icons. The second set however was exceptional; DWD, birds and twist are worth a listen. The Hood was sloppy IMO, Grind was very nice and must have been hilarious for any non-phish fans. Julius encore.... on point, thank you. See you this summer

This is a solid Phish show. Not ground-breaking, but better than I expected for a one-off performance tucked into a massive multi-band festival.

Set 1 is a bit lukewarm, but not uninspired, and the banter around Lawn Boy and Party Time is evidence that the band can still have fun. Wolfman's and Ocelot are shorter than usual, but crisp enough. 46 Days is the one song in the set that steps off the beaten path, and it's a brief diversion. The Line fits nicely into the mix, as if it has been part of the repertoire for years.

Set 2 is a bit short on flow, but it has its moments. DWD and Light both have interesting jams of healthy length. The DWD jam is especially compelling, with drippy yet peppy melodic meanderings and a segment around 11:40-12:30 that recalls the jam out of Fee on 7/5/98. Deft transition from the DWD jam to the BOAF intro - a ripcord that actually works! The set's midsection is a bit rushed. Sand is funky while it lasts. Hood is disappointing - not because of Trey's pitch-shifter that people whine about, but because that segment is part of a jam that just neither blisses out, nor builds, nor peaks. At least the Julius encore is a righteous romp, albeit typically so.

Has anyone else noticed a pretty significant difference in this Live Phish mix compared to summer/fall/NYE shows? I know Altschiller is a great engineer... but I feel like he didn't mix this, but can't find that info with the newly designed live phish site. It just sounds so different. Very direct mix, and some overly compressed (light distortion) on some vocals at different points in the show. Am I nuts?

Overall a good solid show - very tight solos and everyone was crisp with no flubs to speak of, the offseason solo work was apparent.

First set was pretty stock, but clean and energetic. So good to hear a strong rift out of Trey among others. Moma was funky and tight and the second half of the set flowed well. Party time was a welcome crowd pleaser and seemed to embody the vibe.

The first set left a lot on the table and was good, but the second really overshadowed it. A strong down with disease with very tight guitar work by Trey morphed into a space trance - well received after the stock first set. Mike's bass had a really cool effect in the into riff.

Birds was fine, twist was above average. Light was a killer jam, on track to be a real monster when it took a turn to the spaced out and kind of fizzled. A pleasant but unremarkable Harry Hood. Grind was hilarious, as always and Julius was a fun and different encore.

Second set was good with moments of greatness, down with disease and light be the main highlights. Overall a clean and solid show which bodes well the coming tour.

I think the most interesting moment of the show was when a guy was a holding up a illuminati symbol on a stick and during the intro to DWD trey looks at the illuminati symbol and starts saying "mason" "mason". most likely talking about the "free mason's" that kinda fucked me up for a minute during thr show

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